Portable imprinting device for credit plates



l v Po'la'rALE-` IMPRIINTING DEVICE FoR CREDIT PLATES Filed umh 12, 195e 2' Sheets-sheet 1 Vf, l

Aug. 26, 1958 s. slMoNs 2,848,943

` PORTABLE IUPRINTING DEVIC FORv CREDIT PLTESV- Filed March 12,v 1956 v 2 Sheets-Sheet` 2 United States Patent Otice Patented Aug. 26, 1958 PORTABLE IMPRINTING DEVICE FOR CREDIT PLATES Stanley Simons, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 12, 1956, Serial No. 571,053

7 Claims. (Cl. 101-269) This invention relates generally to a portable imprinting device and more particularly, is concerned with a simple and novel printing device for use with credit plates and which requires no separate inking mechanism.

Many commercial establishments extend credit to their customers and patrons through use of a system which requires the customer or patron to carry a small metal or plastic plate with the customers name, address and other vital information formed on the plate in relief. When a purchase is made, the customer hands the plate to the clerk who imprints the information which is carried on the plate on suitable sales slips, bills, etc. The credit plate is usually provided with coded notches so that the same will lit into a separate imprinting machine `which is installed for convenient use by the clerk.

Heretofore, the method of applying the imprint from the credit plate has been to utilize an unwieldy machine which must be manually actuated by the clerk to apply the required substantial amount of pressure to force the imprint of the characters on the credit plate through several thicknesses of paper,

The nature of the imprinting machines heretofore used has been such that the said machines are not readily portable. They are usually heavy and require correspondingly heavy standards for use. Furthermore, considerable strength must be applied in order to acquire the imprint. Because of the nature of the machine used for acquiring the imprint on the bills and sales slips, the use of credit plates in many other fields has been impractical. For example, in taxicab and other transportation services, it is not feasible to have a large and cumbersome machine installed within convenient reach of the driver, etc.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved portable imprinting device for use with credit plates to enable information contained on the credit plates to be imprinted on sales slips and the like with a minimum of eifo'rt on behalf of the operator.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a portable imprinting device which will be efficient in operation and which will be extremely thin, so that the same may be carried in the pocket of the clerk, for example, and does not occupy any substantial volume of space.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a portable imprinting device in which the credit plate is placed on a base, several sheets of paper comprising the bill or sales slip are superimposed on the base, and a hinged member carrying a slidable friction member is brought down on top of the paper, after which the friction member is rubbed over the surface of the paper and the imprint is made.

Further objects of the invention lie in the provision of a novel construction of a portable imprinting device, especially in connection with the arrangement for inserting and removing the friction member, a means for supporting and guiding the friction member so that the same is readily used, means for properly aligning the friction member with the charge credit plate to enable the imprint to be made, and means for properly aligning the sales slips or other sheets of paper which are to be imprinted.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of this invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, this invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawing in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawing:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the portable imprinting device constructed in accordance with the invention, the same having several sheets of paper associated therewith to have the information from the credit plate irnprinted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the sheets of paper partially removed and showing the cover plate swung up and out of the way.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through the portable imprinting device along the line 3--3 of Fig, l and in the direction indicated.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through the device generally along the line 4-4 of Fig. l and in the direction indicated.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken generally along the line 5 5 of Fig. l and in the direction indicated.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view showing the manner in which the friction member is capable of being installed or removed.

Generally, the invention comprises a base member having a recess therein within which the charge or credit plate is adapted to be seated. Posts are provided for accommodating and positioning the sheets of paper which comprise the sales slips or memoranda upon the base plate in proper alignment with the credit plate. There vis a cover plate which is hinged to one end of the base and movable so that the same may be arranged overlying the base. Within the cover plate there is a window aligned with the charge or credit plate and a friction member having a hard bottom arcuate edge which is guided for movement transversely of the base. The means for guiding the movement of the friction member include guide members and tracks which are loosely connected so that the friction member may be pressed down and through the windowA of the cover plate into engagement with the paper overlying the credit plate. The friction member is rubbed back and forth several strokes, thereby `causing transfer of the information contained on the credit plate to the paper sheets through suitable carbon paper associated with the said sheets of paper.

Referring to the drawings, the device of the invention is designated generally by the reference character 10, and it will be seen that the same comprises a relatively thin rectangular base 12 adapted to receive thereon an assemblage of sheets comprising bills or memoranda or sales slips. The assemblage is formed of alternating paper and carbon sheets or the backs of several of the sheets may be provided with a surface having carbon or other transferable material dispersed thereon. The assemblage shown is designated by the reference character 14, and in the example illustrated, there are two sheets of paper 14a and 14b having a carbon sheet 15a sandwiched therebetween and a top paper sheet 14C upon which the original information concerning the sale (as seen in Fig. 1) will be written and separated from paper sheet 14h by another carbon sheet 15b. The assemblage 14 includes a shorter sheet of carbon paper 16 for providing an imprint for sheet 14C. The two sheets 14a and 14b will constitute duplicate copies of the original sheet 14C, of which one is given to the customer at the time of the sale, the other sheets being retained for billing and routing of the sales order. Considering end 17 of the base 12 as the top end, projecting posts, such as shown at 18, are secured on base 12 adjacent said end 17 for engagement in suitable perforations 19 in all of the paper and carbon sheets for properly positioning and holding said sheets on the base 12.

The length of the assemblage 14, except for carbon sheet 16, may be substantially equal to the length of base 12. Each of said paper sheets is divided into two major areas, one area, such as designated 2@ in connection with top sheet 14C, suitable for itemizing the merchandise purchased and cost thereof and a second area on which is imprinted the information from the charge or credit plate. The second area 20a corresponds generally in size to sheet 16. Considering the disposition of base 12, the portion 20 may be considered the lower area of said paper sheet 14C, while the imprint receiving area 20a will be the upper area thereof, however, this arrangement is strictly arbitrary.

The base 12 may be formed from stamped sheet metal or molded plastic to include an imperforate shelf or platform of suitable dimension to support thereon the portions 2t) of each of said paper sheets with the carbon paper alternately interposed therebetween. r[he base member 12 is provided with a substantially rectangular recess 26 disposed between said posts 18 and shelf 25. The recess is dened by `a rear wall 27 and side walls 28 and 29 which are perpendicular to the base or bottom wall 3i) of said recess, while the forward end 31 is beveled. The dimensions of the recess or seat 26 are such as to accommodate therein a charge or credit plate 32 resting squarely on the base or bottom wall 30. The bevel afforded by wall 31 permits rapid and easy sliding of the charge plate into said recess and subsequent removal, while the perpendicular wall 27 provides a positioning stop for proper alignment of the plate in said recess 26.

The plate 32 usually consists of a at metal member having certain information formed in relief thereon, such as exaggeratedly shown and designated generally 33 in Fig. 5. An arrow 34 is often provided on upper surface 35 of said plate as an aid for proper positioning of the same in said recess 26. After the plate is properly positioned in said recess 26, the assemblage 14 of sheets may be brought to extend over said recess and the plate therein, the proper imprint receiving areas of said sheets of the assemblage overlying the relief portions 33.

The cover plate designated generally 36 may be formed of the saine material as the base 12 and is relatively thin and shorter in length than base 12. The cover plate 36 is pivotally connected along one edge thereof to the end 17 of the base byl suitable hinge means 37 secured to the co-planar arranged end faces of the cover plate and base member 12 by screws 38. The pivot axis is arranged so that the cover plate may be moved from a position overlying the base member 12 as seen in Fig. l to a position removed therefrom `as seen in Fig. 2 exposing the recess 26. For purposes of description, the end 39 of the cover plate may be considered the front end and the end 40, the rear end of the said cover plate. Within .4 the cover plate 36 is a window 41 which is positioned to register with the recess 26 when the cover plate is overlying the base 12. The window 41 is of suitable size to completely expose the relief portions 33 of the plate 32 seated in said recess, when the cover plate overlies the base 12. As seen in Fig. 4, the underside of cover 36 has clearance recesses 42 for accommodating posts 18.

Slidably mounted in said window 41 for movement transverse of the base 12 is a friction member 43, the length of which is slightly less than the width of the window 41 so that clearance is provided between each end of said member 43 and the adjacent longitudinal edge 44 or 45 of said window. The member 43 is formed of a hard material, such as hard rubber or plastic and has a hard bottom arcuate edge 46 and an opposite thick end 47 protruding upwardly through the window 41 which may be grasped by the operator for manually sliding said friction member transversely of the base 12 in said window.

Each of said longitudinal edges 44 and 45 has an elongate slot 48 therein opening to said edges respectively, the slots being aligned one opposite the other and providing guide tracks for movement of the friction member 43. Said friction member is provided with a longitudinal passageway 49 therethrough in each end of which is retained a guide member Si) of substantially T-shaped configuration. The cross arm 51 of each member 50 protrudes outwardly of a respective end of said passageway and is disposed in a said track 48. As seen in Fig. 5, the free ends 52 of the elongate legs 53 of guide members are `spaced one from the other on the interior of the passageway 49 and the cross-sectional dimension of each said leg 53 is less than the cross-sectional dimension of said passageway 49, so that the guide member 50 is loosely received in said passageway. The relative dimensions of the cross arms 51 and the grooves 48 likewise afford a loose engagement therebetween. Installed in said passageway 49 is a spring S4, the ends of which bear against the ends 52 of said guide members respectively and serve to bias the guide members in a direction out of the passageway 49, and hence, each cross-arm 51 into a groove or track 4S on opposite sides of the friction member. The loose connection of the guide members 50 with said tracks 48 enables lsufficient play therebetween to permit vertical movement of said friction member relative to the base 12.

The imprinting device 10 is operated in the following manner. After the charge or credit plate 32 is properly positioned in the recess 26, the assemblage 14 of papers is arranged on the base 12, suitably positioned and held by the posts 18 and overlying the said plate 32. The cover plate 36 is moved to superimposed position on the base with the window 41 registering with the recess 26 and relief portions 33. The clerk grasps the protruding end or handle 47 of the friction member 43 and presses downwardly to move said member 43 through the window 41 and into engagement with the papers overlying the credit plate 32. The loose connection of the guide members 50 in tracks 48 permits this downward pressure so that the papers 14 will be urged against the characters in relief 33, as indicated by the broken line in Fig. 4. With this downward pressure maintained, the clerk manually moves the friction member back and forth several strokes transversely of base 12, rubbing the hard arcuate bottom edge 46 over the papers to cause transfer of the information on the plate 32 to the paper sheets through the carbon papers associated with the assemblage. The information transferred will appear on the imprint receiving areas 20a of the paper sheets by reason of the positioning posts 18.

The clerk may then lift the cover plate 36, remove the assemblage 14 as shown in Fig. 2 and the plate 32 from recess 26, and the device 10 is ready for successive use. It will thus be seen that said imprinting device 10 is truly portable, requiring no heavy standards upon which to be installed in order to permitoperation. The device may be smaller than the ordinary sales book of the clerk and one device may be provided for each clerk by reason of theeconomical construction thereof and its light weight. No inking mechanism is .required since the carbon paper interposed between paper sheetsl is sufficient to accomplish the transfer of the information on the credit plate 32 by reason of the loose connection of said friction member in the guide tracks enabling the friction member to be pressed downward against the assemblage 14.

Referring to Fig. 6, the device is constructed to permit rapid and easy installation or replacement of the friction member 43. End face 61 of member 43 is recessed as indicated at 62, the recess 62 extending upwardly toward end 47 and communicating with passageway 49 at the open terminal thereof. The length of the recess is sufiicient to accommodate therein cross arm 5f of a guide member S0, and the depth of the recess is sufficient to receive said member 50 therein flush with the end face 61. Since the guide members 50 are rotatable relative to friction member 43, same may be rotated approximately 90 from its normal vertical operating position to the dotted line position shown at 63 to align recess 62 with said cross arm. The cross arm 5l may then be pressed into the recess 62 until' flush with end face 61 and the friction member lifted from the window 41. It will be noted that a cross arm 51 can be accommodated in a said recess 62 only when the friction member 43 is rotated to a position on its side or approximately 90 from its normal vertical position of use. i

lt should be appreciated that the slots 48 are undercut relative the surface of the hinged member. While feasible to provide this in molded members, it requires expensive dies. A simple frame insert such as illustrated at 70 may be used to form the grooves. The insert is cemented or screwed or otherwise secured on shoulders '7l formed around the window.

The thickness of the assemblage 14 has been greatly exaggerated in the drawings to assist in understanding the structure.

It is .believed that the invention has been described in .sufficient detail to enable a complete understanding thereof. It is contemplated that minor changes may be made in structural features described without departing from the broad principles of the invention as set forth in the claims hereto appended.

What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A portable imprinting device for use with credit or charge plates having characters of indicia formed in relief thereon, said device enabling imprinting of said indicia on an assemblage of alternating paper sheets and carbon paper; comprising a relatively thin, substantially rectangular base and cover member hingedly connected together at one end of the base, said cover member being pivotal between a position superimposed over the base to a position removed therefrom, said base having a recessed seat therein for accommodating the said plate, said cover having a window therein registering with said seat when the cover and base are in superimposed position, a friction member slidably mounted in said window for reciprocal transverse movement relative to said base, said friction member having an arcuate hard bottom edge and an opposite end protruding outwardly from said window, a pair of oppositely aligned tracks in said cover member opening into said window, an axially movable guide member extending outwardly of each end of said friction member and loosely engaged in a said track, said friction member being manually reciprocal with said arcuate edge pressed against an assemblage arranged between said plate and cover member in said superimposed position to affect imprinting of said indicia.

2. A portable imprinting device for use with credit or charge plates having characters of indicia formed in relief thereon, said device enabling imprinting of said indicia on an assemblage of paper sheets having indicia transferable material between adjacent sheets of the assemblage; comprising, a base having a recess for seating said plate therein with the relief parts uppermost, means on said base for positioning and holding said assemblage on said base in proper alignment with a plate so seated, a cover member hingedly connected to said base for movement between a first position overlying said base and a second position removed from said base, said cover member having a window therein registering with said plate when the cover is in said first position, a friction member having a hard bottom edge slidably mounted in said window for sliding movement transversely of said base, means for guiding said friction member in said movement when the cover member is in said first position, with said bottom edge pressed against said assemblage arranged on the base in said properly aligned position whereby imprinting will be affected when the friction member is reciprocated, said guide means comprising spring-pressed guide members protruding from opposite ends of said friction member and longitudinally extending tracks in said cover member having said guide members loosely connected therein.

3. A portable imprinting device for use with credit or charge plates having characters of indicia formed in relief thereon, said device enabling imprinting of said indicia on an assemblage of paper sheets having indicia transferable material between adjacent sheets of the assemblage; comprising, a base having a recess for seating said plate therein with the relief parts uppermost, means on said base for positioning and holding said assemblage on said base in proper alignment with a plate so seated, a cover member hingedly connected to said base for movement between a first position overlying said base and a second position removed from said base, said cover member having a window therein registering with said plate when the cover is in said first position, a friction member having a hard bottom edge slidably mounted in said window for sliding movement transversely of said base, means for guiding said friction member in said movement when the cover member is in said first position, with said bottom edge pressed against said assemblage arranged on the base in said properly aligned position whereby imprinting will be affected when the friction member is reciprocated, said guide means comprising spring-pressed guide members protruding from opposite ends of said friction member and longitudinally extending tracks in said cover member having said guide members loosely connected therein, said friction member having a longitudinal passageway therethrough, said guide members comprising a pair of substantially T-shaped pins each having the center elongate leg thereof on the interior of said passageway and the cross-arm thereof protruding from an end of the passageway, and a spring mounted in said passageway normally biasing the pins out of the passageway.

4. A portable imprinting device for use with credit or charge plates having characters of indicia formed in relief thereon, said device enabling imprinting of said indicia on an assemblage of paper sheets having indicia transferable material between adjacent sheets of the assemblage; comprising, a base having a recess for seating said plate therein with the relief parts uppermost, means on said base for positioning and holding said assemblage on said base in proper alignment with a plate so seated, a cover member hingedly connected to said base for movement between a first position overlying said base and a second position removed from said base, said cover member having a window therein registering with said plate when the cover is in said first p0- sition, a friction member having a hard bottom edge slidably mounted in said window for sliding movement transversely of said base, means for guiding said friction member in said movement when the cover member is in said first position, with said bottom edge pressed against said assemblage arranged on the base in said properly aligned position whereby imprinting will be affected when the friction member is reciprocated, said means comprising spring-pressed guide members each having a track engaging portion protruding from opposite ends of said friction member and longitudinally eX- tending, oppositely aligned slots in said cover member opening in said window, each slot having said track engaging portion loosely received therein, said friction member having means at an end face thereof enabling installation and replacement of the same in said window comprising an elongate recess of suitable dimension for accommodating said track engaging portion flush with said end face, said friction member being pivotal relative to said guide member to permit alignment of such elongate recess only when the friction member is moved from its normal operative position in the window.

5. A portable imprinting device for use with credit or charge plates having characters of indicia formed in relief thereon, said device enabling imprinting of said indicia on an assemblage of alternating paper sheets and carbon paper; comprising a relatively thin, substantially rectangular base and cover member hingedly connected together at one end of the base, said cover member being pivotal between a position superimposed over the base to a position removed therefrom, said base having a recessed seat therein for accommodating the said plate, said cover having a window therein registering with said seat when the cover and base are in superimposed position, a friction member slidably mounted in said window for reciprocal transverse movement relative to said base, said friction member having an arcuate hard bottom edge and an opposite end protruding outwardly from said window, a pair of oppositely aligned tracks in said cover member opening into said window, a guide member extending outwardly of each end of said friction member and loosely engaged in a said track, said friction member being manually reciprocal with said arcuate edge pressed against an assemblage arranged between said plate and cover member in said superimposed position to affect imprinting of said indicia, said friction member having a longitudinal passageway therethrough in which said guide members are inserted at opposite ends of the passage- 3 way, said guide members being spaced one from the other on the interior of said passageway, and tension means in said space bearing against each of said guide members and normally urging same out of the passageway into engagement with said tracks.

6. A device as described in claim 5 in which an end face of said friction member has a recess therein normal to the axis of said passageway, each guide member cornprises a substantially T-shaped pin, the cross-arm of which protiudes from said passageway into engagement with a said track, said cross-arm being dis` osed transverse to the axis of said passageway when the friction member is in operating position, the dimension of said recess being suti'icient to accommodate said cross-arm therein substantially flush with said end face, said friction member being rotatable relative to said guide members so as to enable alignment of the recess with said crossarm, said recess and cross-arm being so alignable only when the friction member is moved from its said normal operative position.

7. An imprinting device for use with a charge plate having upwardly facing relief indicia, comprising a base, means for seating said plate on the base with the indicia upward, an assemblage including at least one sheet member and one color transfer sheet member with its operative surface against the sheet member, means for disposing the assemblage on said base over the plate in alignment to receive an imprint of said indicia, a member hingedly secured to said base, and movable to a position overlying said base, a friction member slidable on thehinged member and having a part adapted to rub over the assemblage in alignment with the plate to cause imprinting on said one sheet member, said hinged member and friction member having cooperating guide and track means connected to permit such sliding movement of the friction member, said cooperating guide and track means being resiliently connected one with the other to permit limited play therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,277,119 Quigley Aug. 27, 1918 2,102,787 Christenson Oct. 2, 1935 2,178,259 Kjell Oct. 3l, 1939 2,530,049 Ekblom Nov. 14, 1950 

